Are you finishing secondary school this year? It’s time to think about what you want to do after college graduation. Most high school seniors postpone deciding on a major until they’ve spent a year in university. But considering the intense competition amongst jobseekers, you’re better off doing early career planning.

Having a plan all laid out has number of benefits. First, it makes choosing a degree to pursue much easier. Sorting out your interests well in advance allows you to choose a field of study quickly and stick to it. You’re career plan can also be used as a reference for the extracurricular pursuits you engage in during your college years.

Initially, creating a career plan might seem easy. Focus on your strengths and always aim to get that high paying position. While your personal skills are an important factor, others also have to be considered. You need to look at the job market and the status of the economy. In addition, you must know how you’ll support yourself through four years in university. Finally, you’ll have to look at how your choice of degree and possible career will affect other personal goals. For someone barely in his 20s, all of this can be overwhelming.

In this article, we’ve provided some tips on making early career planning less stressful:

1. Get college advice

Having multiple interests is characteristic of being young. However, this can also make choosing a major and a tertiary school harder. Enable yourself to make a well-rounded decision by seeking people in the know. You can ask advice from your guidance counsellor or talk to a professional education consultant. These experts will be able to assist you in finding the right university.

If you’re a foreigner who wants to study in Sydney or Brisbane, an organisation like DEC International has information on Australian universities.

2. Learn about recruitment

As mentioned, it’s never too early to plan your career. Part of that, is learning how recruitment process in the industry you intend to join. The web is not an information powerhouse for nothing. Use it to do research. Many recruitment agencies have online sites you can peruse. For example, labour hire at Final Trim Operators posts mining and construction jobs to provide insights on what employers are looking for.

So which career path do you want to take? Once you’ve ventured into a particular field, remember that you don’t stop learning. Even if you already have a high position, take up further training and courses. Here are some options you might be interested in.

• communication training at New Horizons - helps you learn to develop effective communications skills to build positive interactions with other people.
• Graspan Frankton Ltd - A risk consultancy company specialising in maritime security training, close protection, surveillance and related services.
• Sage Massage Courses - The Sage Institute of Massage offers government funding to eligble students to study full- and part-time in Melbourne.
• West London College business courses - an approved learning partner of Heriot-Watt University that offers quality courses in business, marketing, finance and accountancy.
• Carmichael Fisher Executive Search – is one of the end to end talent management services offered by a company with over 12 years of experience in helping businesses with human capital management.